Combination-pad lock



(No Model.) f v J. E. SPENCER 8u J. C. SANDERS.'

GOMBINATION PADLOGK,

UNiTED STATES.'v

PATENT OFFICE. j

JOSEPH E.L SPENCER AND JOHN CfsANDERs, OE HAVRE DE GRACE,

- MARYLAND.

COMBINATION-PAOLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 531,656, dated January Application led January 31, 1894i. Serial No. 498,644. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH E. SPENCER and JOHN GRSANDERS, citizens of the United States,lre sidi ng at Havre de' Grace, in the county of Harford and State of lvlaryland, have invented a new and useful Combination- Padlock, of which the following is a. specilication.

Our invention relates to combination padlocks, and has for its objectto provide a de-y vice which may be operated either to lockv or unlock by the sense of touch rather than by sight, in order that the Operation may be l accomplished in the dark.'

A further object of our inventionv is to so improve and simplify the lock as to reduce to a minimum the risk of displacement of the` parts and also to reduce the cost of manufacture.

vention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

vention.

the removable cap detached. Fig. 3 is a de` tail View. in perspective of the operating` stem.. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the pushrod with its lateral arm detached from the; shank. Fig. 5 is a detail view vin perspec In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a verticalv central section of a lock embodying our in- Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective of tive of the system of tumblers and tumblerparts.

removable cap.

.Like numeralsof reference Iindicate like.

parts in all the gures of the drawings. l

1 designates the casingof the improved lock,.the walls of the cavityof which are formed with a series of steps or shoulders 2,

3 and 4, respectively. A socket 5', which is formed in one side of the upper end of the casing,=is`adapted to `receive the extremity of the short leg of the shackle 6, and the extended socket '7v at the' opposite sidel of the casing is'adaptedto receivethe long leg 8 of the shackle, such leg being provided in its Further objects and advantages of the in-- inner sidewith a series of spaced `notches y9, the intervals between which correspond with the intervals between the steps or shoulders upon the walls ofthe cavity in the casing.y

Threaded in the lower end of the casing is the cap 10, the threaded flange 11 of which extends toV and bears upon the shoulder 4, and is provided at a point aligning with the elongated socket 7 in the casing with fan Opening or notch 12, into whicii'fts the. extremity ofthe long leg of the shackle when the latter is in place to preventv lthe removal of the cap when said shackle is locked therein. Y

13 represents a spindle, which is arranged axially in the cavity Of the casing,vand is provided with a squared or flattened end 11i, which ts in a correspondingly shaped depression'l in the upper end of the casing, whereby said spindle is held from rotation, and upon 'f i the spindle are rotatably mounted the tumblers 16, 17 and 19, which are seated respect ively upon the shoulders or steps2, 3 and hand carry u pon opposite sides the pins 19, which are adapted to engage with each other to com# municate rotary motion from one tumbler toy the next. The intermediate tumbler 17 is held in place upon the spindle 13 by means of collars 2O and 2l respectively, of which the former may, asshown in the drawings,be fixed to or integral with, the spindle, while the latterv is fixed against rotary movement by means of a feather 22 engaging a groove 23. The `upper and smallest tumbler 16,I is' arranged above the removable collar 2l, and the" lower and largest tumbler 18 is arranged below the lower collar 20, and is supportedby t lshoulder 2i upon the threaded iiange 1 vthe cap.

In order toA allow for changing the combination of the'lock or changing the relative pol. 1sitions of the pins 19 whereby motion is com 'municated from one tumbler to another, We

arrange said,pins upon adjustable disks 25, which are fitted in cavities 26 .in the faces of Vwith the extended socket 7 in the casing, are

changed. In the drawings we have shown the intermediate tumbler provided with non-adjustable pins'19, said pins being fixed directly to the tumbler, but it will be understood that the construction shown in connection with the terminal tumblers 1G and 18 and embodying the adjustable disks carrying the pins and lugs may be applied to said intermediate tumbler, and, furthermore, that the number of intermediate tumblers may be multiplied to suit the requirements, the size of the lock, dre.

represents the operating-stem, which is tubular and is rotatablyand slidably mounted in a bearing 3l at the center ofthe cap 10, said operating stem being provided at its outer end beyond the cap with a milled head 32 and at its inner end with projections 33 arranged at diametrically opposite points and adapted to engage the teeth of a circular rack 34, which is arranged upon the under surface of the terminal tumbler 18, whereby motion may be communicated from the operating-stem to the iirst tumbler of the series and from thence through the intermediate tumblers to the opposite terminal tumbler 16, in order that the said parts may be set and unset as required. This operating stem is capable of a limited longitudinalor sliding movement, whereby its projections 33 may be engaged with or disengaged from the teeth of the said rack 34 as may be required.

Slidably fitted in the axial bore of the operating-stem is a push-rod 35 which projects at its outer end slightly beyond the extremity of the milled head of the stem and is shouldered, as shown at 36 to bear against the outer end of a return spring 37 arranged in the bore of the operating stem around the push-rod and bearing at its inner end against the shoulder 38 formed by the reduced upper end of the bore. This spring is adapted to normally hold the push-rod extended with the arm .39 arranged in the sector-shaped recess 40 in the door of the cap, but by pressing the push-rod upward or inward to raise said arm 39 above the plane of the shoulder 41, said arm is disengaged from the sector-shaped notch or recess, thus permitting the operating stem to be rotated. The arm 39 operates in a radial slot 42 in the operating stem, whereby the push-rod and operating stem rotatein unison and therefore when the push-rod is in its retracted position and is in engagement with the sector-shaped recess 40 the operatingstem is locked against rotation. The arm 39 carries a pin 43, which is adapted to engage a notch 44 in a rim 45, which is carried by the adjustable disk 25 attached to and carried by the terminal tumbler 18.

This being the construction of our improved lock, the operation thereof is as follows:`- The first step necessary in order to adj ust the tumblers to bring the peripheral notches in alignment with the extended socket 7 of the casing is to engage the projections 33 of the operating stem with the proper teeth of the rack 34. To accomplish this, when the operating stem is in its extended position with its projections out of engagement with the rack, the stem is pushed upward and then the push-rod is pushed in to cause its pin 43 to engage the notch 44. If said notch is in align' ment with the pin 43 the push-rod may be elevated sufficiently to disengage the arm 39 from the recess 40, thus permitting the oper ating stem to be rotated and showing that the operating stem is in engagement with the proper teeth of the rack 34; and therefore that the first step of the operation is completed; but if the pin 43 strikes against the edge of the rim 45 the push-rod cannot be moved inward a sufficient distance to disengage its arm 39 from the recess 40, andtherefore the operating stem cannot be rotated. The size of the recess 40 is sufficient to allow a slight rotary movement of the operating stem when the arm 39 is in engagement with the recess, the extent of such movement being equivalent to the distance between two adjacent teeth of the rack 3l. Therefore if upon elevating the operating stem and extending the push-rod it is found that the pin 43 does not engage the notch 44, the operating stem is rotated to the right as far as the width of the recess 40 will permit, is then drawn outward to disengage its projections 33 from the rack, and is turned to the left as far as said width of the recess 40 will allow, is then pushed inward again and engaged with the rack as before, in this case obviously engaging with different teeth than before. lf the pin 43 still fails to engage the notch 44 the operation above described is repeated until the terminal tumbler 18 has been turned sufficiently to bring about the necessary registering of the parts. Having found by this means the proper relative positions of the operating stem and the terminal tumbler adjacent thereto, the operation of aligning the peripheral notches of the tumblers proceeds as with ordinary rotary tumbler-locks, namely: by turning alternately7 in opposite directions and causing the pins 19 to engage successively to set the tumblers, beginning with that which is most remote from the application of movement, but as the push-rod is spring-actuated it will'be understood that the arm 39 will spring into the recess 40 and lock the operating stem at the end of each complete rotation, thus indicating the number of rotations and enabling the operator to judge of the extent of movement imparted to the various tumblers comprising the lock. This enables the lock to be operated without the assistance of sight. If during the operation of the lock, after the proper relative positions of the operating stem and adjacent tumblers have been attained, the stem is al lowed to drop out of engagement with the rack 34 and is rotated independently of the said adjacent tumbler, said proper relative positions are lost and must be sought,as above described, but in this connection it should be noted that after the arm 39 has been disen- IOO gaged from' the recess 40and is elevated sufficiently to pass over the shoulder 41, thupermitting the rotation of the stem, the spring 37 willl serve to hold the operating stem in engagement with the rack 34. The notched ring 45 by which, in connection with the pin carrying arm 39 of the push rod, the proper relative positions of the operating stem and contiguous tumbler are ascertained, being carried by the/disk 25, the pin 19 of said con` tiguous tumbler is adjusted simultaneously with the changing of the combination, thus avoiding an independent adjustment thereof.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spiritA of the invention or'sacriticng any ofthe advantages thereof.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotary tumblers, and means for communicating motion from one to another, of a rotary and longitudinally movable operating stem provided with projections to engage a rack upon the contiguous terminal tumbler, a notched rim carried by said tumbler, an arm slidably mounted v and held from lateral movement in the operating stem and provided'with a pin to engage said notched rim, and means .to engage and stopsaid arm when its pin is disengaged from the notch in the rim, substantially as specified. i

2. In, a device of the class described, the combination with a series of rotary tu mblers, and means for communicating motion from one to another, of a rotary and slidable operating stem provided with projections to engage a rack upon the contiguous terminal tumbler, a notched rim carried by said terminal tumbler, an arm mounted upon the operating stem and capable of longitudinal movement independent thereof and carrying a pin to engage a notch in said rim, and a shouldered casing having a recess to receive said arm in its retracted position and sup- -V port the same iny its extended position, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing, a series of rotary tumblers, and means forcommunicating motion from one to another, of a rotary and longitudinally movable operating stem provided with projections to engage a rack upon the contiguous terminal tumbler, a push-rod slid-4 kthreaded in the lower end thereof and provided with a shoulder 4l, a recess 40, and a `central bearing,\a series of rotary tumblers mounted in the Vcavity of the casing, and means for communicating motion from one tumbler to another, of a tubular stem mounted rotatably and slidably in said bearing in the cap and provided with projections to engage a rack upon the said contiguous tumbler, a push-rod mounted slidably in the bore of said operating stem,A an actuating spring connected with said push-rod to normally hold it in a retracted position, an arm fixed to the inner end of the push-rod and fitting in a radial slot in the operating stem, and a pin carried by said arm to engage a notched rim carried by said tumbler, whereby when the pushrod is retracted the arm carried thereby is in engagement with said recess and the stem is held from rotary movement, and when said `push-rodis pressed inward to engage the pin with a notch in the rim carried by the tumbler said stem may be rotated to cause the outer end of said arm to engage the surface of the shoulder, thereby maintaining the projections of the stem in engagement with the rack of the terminal tumbler, substantially as specified.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a casing, of a series of tumblers mounted upon a xedaxially disposed spindle, revolubly adjustable disks fitting in cavities in the faces of the tumblers and provided with lugs to engage depressions in the floors of said cavities, a notched rim fixed to and carried by the disk of the terminal tumbler adjacent to thelower end of the casing, an operating stem provided with projections to engage a rack upon said terminal tumbler, and a push-rod having an arm fitting in a radial slot in said operating stem and provided with a pin to engage a notch in said rim, substantially as specified. y

6. In a device of the class described, th combination of a casing having the walls of its cavity provided with a series of steps or shoulders increasing in` diameter toward the lower end of the casing, a series of tumblers mounted upon a central fixed spindle and bearing respectively upon said steps or shoulders, a removable cap having a threaded ange fitting in the lower end of the casing and providedat itsinner surface with a shoulder to engage the under side of the adjacent terminal tumbler, a shackle having one of its legs provided with notches agreeing in arrangement to the steps or shoulders upon the ywalls of the casing and adapted t0 fit in a IOO tor;

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as ro ourown We have hereto aixed our signatures in the presence ot' two Witnesses.

JOSEPH E. SPENCER. .n JOI-IN C. SANDERS.

Witnessesz J. W. FOSTER, L. A. VOSBURY. 

